Get back to me form
We’ll answer your questions

How would you prefer us to contact you?

By EmailBy Phone

Earthwatch volunteers at the South Shields Roman Fort have helped in mapping more than 1,000 square yards (square meters) of pre-Roman and Roman settlements and excavating jewelry, armor, and ceramics.

Arbeia, the Roman fort overlooking the River Tyne and its harbor, was one of the largest and busiest supply depots in the northern Roman Empire. Hadrian’s Wall, just four miles (6.4 kilometers) from Arbeia, marks the boundary of the empire. Beyond the wall lived the region’s native inhabitants, the Brigantes and Picts. Earthwatch scientists are exploring the site and seeking answers to significant historical questions. You can spend the weekend as a volunteer for a taste of the archaeological life.

As a weekend volunteer, you may choose either of two options. Both options include a visit to the Great North Museum in Newcastle.

Option 1: During the Sampler Weekend of Archaeology, you’ll learn how to use an archaeological trowel and how to record finds. You’ll help trained staff record and excavate layers of Roman occupation from the first to the fourth centuries A.D. and then process and catalog your finds.

Option 2: The Archaeological Finds Weekend is an opportunity for volunteers to have close contact with the finds from previous excavations at the fort and learn about their processing. Finds include a wide range of artifacts, from pottery to coins, beads, and vessels.

Lead scientists

Accommodations and food

Why the research is important

Why the research is important

Through our research, we aim to provide a more complete picture that can inform future plans for the management and conservation of the site.

After more than 10 years of excavation, Earthwatchers continue to discover new artifacts at the Arbeia dig.

Arbeia was a Roman military and civilian settlement and port of supply, situated on a flat-topped hill with a view of the mouth of the River Tyne. The fort became part of the frontier defense system begun in A.D. 122 by the Emperor Hadrian, whose famous wall starts only four miles (6.4 kilometers) west of South Shields and runs across the island of Great Britain.

New discoveries are constantly being made at the site; we are producing a more detailed picture of the inside of a Roman military base of the first to the fourth centuries than has ever been drawn before. Through our research, we aim to provide a more complete picture that can inform future plans for the management and conservation of the site.

Earthwatch teams have greatly advanced knowledge of the civilian area of the site. Life here was thought to have come to a sudden end around A.D. 260, when trade networks across the empire were disrupted during a period of military crisis and barbarian invasion. The new excavation area, however, is producing a contrasting picture: the civilian settlement got smaller in the late third century, but it did not disappear.

Earthwatchers continue to discover new artifacts at the Arbeia dig.

Work at the South Shields site is ongoing and is turning up surprising and exciting finds. A weekend here will introduce you to the process of archaeology and the discoveries that make this science so appealing to so many.

About the research area

South Shields, Tyneside, United Kingdom, Europe & Russia

South Shields is in Northern England, within the Tyneside urban area, east of Newcastle on the southern bank of the Tyne. The project site sits on a rise overlooking the North Sea and the river mouth. The town is a mixture of old and new, with Georgian and Victorian buildings side by side with redevelopment of more recent years.

The weather during the summer is typically British: a mixture of warm days, the occasional cool sea breeze, and showers that appear in an instant and disappear just as quickly. The town is the capital of the South Tyneside region, and the local economy is a mixture of small-scale industry and coastal-resort tourism.

The coastline here epitomizes the Great British seaside, with pristine sandy beaches, soaring cliffs, and delightful parks. The local people are famously friendly and welcoming, and you’ll encounter a wide variety of pubs and restaurants to sample and a range of activities, including shopping, live music, and theatre.

South Shields, Tyneside, UK

Daily life in the field

Itinerary

Note: Only people on the Sampler Weekend of Archaeology will do hands-on excavation work.

Day 1: Arrival, introductions, team dinner

Day 2: Daily activity may include (followed by a tour of the Great North Museum and a free evening):

• Excavation

• Working with artifacts

Day 3: Daily activities listed above, final wrap-up

Depending on the size of the team, you’ll work in small groups and rotate between tasks. Although the work is not strenuous, it requires care, patience, and precision.

The Earthwatch scientists will provide demonstrations and training on the necessary techniques and will also tell you about the history of the site, its modern-day interpretation, and its place in the wider context as part of the Northern British Iron Age and Roman frontier.

On the Sampler Weekend of Archaeology weekend, you will:

Excavate finds. With a trowel and a brush, you'll dig into layers of Roman occupation from the first to the fourth centuries.

Catalog and sort finds. You'll also get a taste of how artifacts like pottery and animal bone pieces are categorized as you clean, label, and sort finds.

On the Archaeological Finds weekend, you will:

Catalog and sort finds. Focus on artifacts that have been unearthed by other teams as you clean, label, and sort finds. You will likely encounter a wide range, from pottery to coins, beads, and jars.

No matter which weekend experience you choose, you’ll have the chance to visit the Great North Museum in Newcastle for a tour of the Roman galleries. The museum houses many items excavated at Arbeia in the late 19th century, as well as an impressive collection of finds from numerous sites along Hadrian’s Wall. You’ll also have free time to explore the rest of the museum.

ACTIVITY LEVEL

MODERATE

Training for specific tasks and expert instruction will be provided in all techniques.

MEET THE OTHER SCIENTISTS

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations and Food

Choose your accommodations

Wide range of restaurants

Lovely seaside town

Volunteers make their own arrangements for accommodations. South Shields is a seaside town with a variety of different accommodations to suit all tastes and budgets, from hotels and guesthouses to self-catering holiday lettings, caravans, and camping sites, all close to the research site. All meals will be the responsibility of the volunteers. The research site provides facilities for lunch preparation and tea breaks, and tea, coffee, and soft drinks will be provided. South Shields offers a wide choice of places to eat, whether you are looking for a snack, a pub meal, a sit-down five-course meal, or traditional fish and chips.

“Earthwatch Weekender – Arbeia 2016”

After spending almost 30 years in the field of computer graphics and working on a number of digital historical reconstructions I felt I needed to change my career direction and move towards archaeology. I am now studying for a degree in Archaeology and wanted to gain some field experience prior to its start. The weekend was very well organized and the structure allowed the team to get a good balance between fieldwork, finds recording, and museum visits. Besides the multi-story tower gate of the Roman fort at Arbeia, there is a reconstruction of one of the army barracks and a courtyard house which really put the excavation in context very well. Looking at the conditions the Roman soldiers may have endured in comparison to the upper class living in the courtyard house was very interesting. The site is situated at the mouth of the River Tyne and has access to the seafront and an abundance of places to eat. Everyone was quite friendly and conversations during lunch and tea breaks were lively and humorous. Some of the staff was present during some of the major finds and could recount the emotions at that time. I can certainly say that the expedition was a very well planned experience and the documentation I received via my online account was very helpful and informative. At the end of the three days I certainly felt more confident about the professional direction I am going in.